Making a Difference in Bolivia, One Hand at a Time

The four-room expansion of the Jalsuri rural health clinic will now allow the clinic to receive an additional doctor and other health-care workers as well as resources provided through a government program. With this expansion, the Jalsuri clinic can now serve as a “hub clinic” to 13 additional communities, serving over 5,000 people. The group was also able to complete a small greenhouse connected to the clinic where they will be able to grow vegetables and other medicinal herbs for treatment, as well as help with heating the clinic’s birthing center.

doTERRA Wellness Advocates and doTERRA staff members also held a training in Viacha on the basic application and use of essential oils with over 60 local health-care workers from seven different rural clinics representing approximately 82,000 people. The Healing Hands Foundation donated the oils to the participating clinics at the training and, following the expedition, delivered additional sets of essential oils to replenish these supplies for over a year. Healing Hands also was able to deliver physician diagnostic kits with important, basic instruments which will be kept and used at the Jalsuri clinic.

The group also had many opportunities for intercultural exchange with the community members. They worked alongside each other while building the clinic, as well as shared other activities including friendship bracelets, a soccer game, traditional dancing, milking cows, and home visits to I “shadow” a family for a typical morning in Jalsuri.